Localised or infrequent but recurring and widespread social marginalisation or prejudice against the non-religious

This condition is unusual in that it is applied in cases where there is some social discrimination, but it is not pervasive or nationwide. This condition is applied when there is sufficient background evidence to warrant the assertion that discrimination is not anomalous but widespread, and this condition may be applied for example even where if there is no legislative discrimination or where the non-religious may have legal recourse against such discrimination. However, societal discrimination (i.e. discrimination by peers, as opposed to state or legal discrimination) is not easily measured, and for this reason the Report does not currently have similar more severe boundary conditions to capture higher levels of social discrimination per se. In principle these may be introduced in future. However, we consider that countries with actual higher levels of social discrimination against the non-religious will generally already meet other higher level (more severe) boundary conditions under this thematic strand.

This condition is applied where there are miscellaneous indicators that organs of the state offer various forms of support for a religion, or to religion in general over non-religious worldviews, suggesting a preference for those beliefs, or that the organs of that religion are privileged.

Religious instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety

This condition highlights countries where schools subject children to fundamentalist religious instruction with no real opportunity to question fundamentalist tenets, or where lessons routinely encourage hatred (for example religious or ethnic hatred). The wording “significant number of schools” is not given a rigid quantification (sometimes the worst-offending schools are unregistered, illegal, or otherwise uncounted); however the condition is not applied in cases where only a small number of schools meet the description and may be anomalous, as opposed to being indicative of a widespread problem.

Constitution and government

The constitution declares that “a person shall not be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience, including freedom of thought and of religion.”

Education and children’s rights

Until age 18, young people may be required to receive religious instruction, or attend religious assembly. Private schools can at their own expense provide religious instruction.

Family, community and society

According to a 2001 census 6% of the population have no religious affiliation. Atheists and freethinkers run a number of active blogs and are involved in a Caribbean Atheists Facebook page.

“Although Dominica contains some fanatics, there is not the same mob mentality towards punishing people who think differently, and, in fact, there is an appreciation in this island for thinkers, for literate readers, that is almost nonexistent in the States by comparison, and I think it is because most Dominicans have not become as bitter, ironic, and absurdist as so many young Americans I’ve seen seem to have.”

Christianity is the dominant religion with some 60% of the population said to be Roman Catholic. Christian prayer takes place during morning assembly in public schools, although non-Christian students are not required to participate. The government subsidizes teacher salaries at schools affiliated with the Catholic, Methodist, and Seventh-day Adventist churches.
<206.155.102.64/country,,,,DMA,,53d9078478,0.html>